Trials and Tribulations
by Imadra Blue
Summary: In which things go "boom," and Anakin discovers there are not enough painkillers. Gen.


**Disclaimer:** Star Wars and all its characters are property of Lucasfilm Ltd. No copyright infringement is intended.  
**Notes:** Written for SW Mythology. Takes place a year prior to AotC. There are a few things in here that I borrowed from "The Legend of Zelda" series, mostly for my own amusement. Beta read by the lovely Rynne.

. . .

Anakin Skywalker was bored enough to start throwing folded pieces of flimsiplast at his Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, just to see his reaction. However, he paused, starship-shaped flimsiplast missile in hand, when Obi-Wan made an off-hand comment about the Triforce Trials on the planet Hyrule. Laying the flimsiplast down, Anakin sat straight up in his bunk, dazzled by the prospect of adventure.

"Master, we should give it a try!"

"We have to return to the Temple and give our report," said Obi-Wan with a frown.

"And we will! We're just sitting here waiting for the _Kadrahal_ crew to finish gathering supplies. Let's just go check it out. I'm _bored_."

"If we went and faced some ridiculous ancient set of trials every time you were bored, we'd be dead by now."

"C'mon, Master." Anakin grinned. "It'll be a nice warm-up for the real Trials."

Obi-Wan scowled and glared down at the datapad he was holding. "You're nowhere near ready for the real Trials. The Triforce Trials are of strength and skill – they do not test your mettle. And your mettle is what I worry about."

Still stinging from Obi-Wan's retort, Anakin said, "Or maybe you just don't want to see me do better than you did."

Silence. Obi-Wan stared down at his datapad. Light flashed across his face as he flipped through a few screens. He always ignored Anakin's more heated statements. When he argued, it always seemed to be on _his_ terms.

"We don't have anything better to do," Anakin said after a few moments, trying to push away his frustrations. "It couldn't take that long – maybe a few hours?"

"You could meditate on the virtues of patience and humility."

"I think you've done that enough today for the both of us." Anakin leaned across the smooth table where Obi-Wan was sitting. "Let's go work off some tension, Master. Consider it my physical exercise for the day."

Obi-Wan gently laid the datapad on the table. Anakin never ceased to be amazed by Obi-Wan's restraint – he'd surely have slammed it. Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. He studied Anakin intently. Sometimes, Anakin wondered if those bright blue eyes of his could pierce his soul and see every inadequacy.

"Will you at least give me some peace if we go?" asked Obi-Wan with a sigh.

"I will meditate the rest of the trip home. I'll even do my studies without complaint."

"The whole trip?"

"The whole trip. I'll be as quiet and contemplative as Master Yoda. I give you my word."

"Very well, then. So long as you remember your promise to me."

Biting back the urge to whoop, Anakin followed Obi-Wan out of their quarters.

. . .

Sighing, Anakin pressed his cheek to the cool metal frame of the transport ship taking them down to the planet of Hyrule. He stared out of the thick transparisteel, watching Hyrule as it grew closer to them in the field of stars. It was more of a planetoid than anything else. It was dirty and uninhabited. Its people had died out long ago in some cataclysm Obi-Wan no doubt knew of, but Anakin didn't care enough to ask.

There was a rough bump as the transport hit the atmosphere. Anakin frowned. He could fly better than the clown in the pilot's seat with his eyes closed. Knowing Obi-Wan would be karked off if he tried to take over the flying, Anakin turned his attention back out the window. It was midday where they were headed, the sky a perfectly clear blue – the sort that you couldn't get on a high-tech world. The mountainous landscape was rocky and barren, but Anakin saw green glittering like a sea off in the distance. Of course, Anakin wasn't positive it _wasn't_ a sea; he was certainly no marine expert. The transport dipped behind a mountain and landed in a flat area. Just in front of them loomed the dark mouth of a cave.

"Is this it?" asked Anakin. "It's in a cave?"

Obi-Wan stood and brushed off his brown robes. "Yes." He gestured to the cave mouth. "We go through three trials. At the back of the last trial is supposed to be an area filled with Hylian crystals. When this place was still inhabited, it was traditional to carry one out and show it to the ruler in order to prove one's worthiness. We will be taking one only because pressing one into a depression on the wall will let us out the back way."

"To prove one's worthiness? That sounds stupid."

"As Jedi, it is our duty to respect others' traditions as much as our own."

Anakin muttered under his breath as he stood, "If it helps, I don't have any use for Jedi traditions, either."

Obi-Wan, luckily, did not appear to have heard him. He turned to the pilot and said, "Pick us up in an hour on the other side of this cave."

The pilot nodded and raised the side hatch to let the Jedi out. Dust blew into the transport, making Anakin cough. The air was every bit as dry as it looked. The dirt and rocks were a grayish-brown color that made everything look bleak. The black mouth of the cave started to look inviting.

"Good luck," said the pilot as Anakin and Obi-Wan walked onto the warm surface.

"Same to you," said Anakin, smirking. "You're going to need it with the way you fly. Let up on the throttle when entering the atmosphere once in a while. Punch it only on the way _out_."

"Anakin!" cried Obi-Wan.

Anakin couldn't tell if the pilot was glaring at him with his helmet and shield glasses on, but by the curl of his upper lip, Anakin imagined he was. The hatch snapped shut, and after a moment, the slug-shaped transport rocketed into the air. Anakin smirked after it, ignoring Obi-Wan's glare.

Obi-Wan raised a finger, a deep furrow between brows. "You had best keep your smart remarks to yourself on this trip, my _very_ young apprentice, or I will assign you clean-up duty in the Temple infirmary again when we get back."

"_Why?_?"

Obi-Wan's eyes flashed, as they always did when Anakin was about to get into severe trouble, so he tempered his response with another. "I mean, why shouldn't I have given the pilot flying tips. He was obviously not very good at it."

"Nevertheless, Anakin, it's not your place to instruct others. And the manner in which you did it was rude."

"I'm sorry, Master." Anakin wasn't sorry at all, but saying so usually appeased Obi-Wan.

As expected, Obi-Wan looked slightly mollified. "Let's just get this over with."

Anakin resisted the urge to stick out his tongue and fell into place behind Obi-Wan, following him into the cave.

The cave wasn't as dark as it seemed under the bright sun once Anakin's eyes adjusted. There was a soft blue glow to everything, almost like light reflecting off water. The air was moist and had a certain smell to it that he always associated with rain. He put a hand on the main passageway's wall. Despite how warm everything was outside, the rocky surface was cool and damp to the touch. Blue-green fungi grew in the dark cracks; water dripped out when Anakin squeezed the fungi. The passageway seemed to go deeper underground, but also got brighter; Anakin couldn't tell where it led from where he stood.

Anakin scratched his head. He had a bad feeling about this. "Um, you do know where we're going, right?"

Obi-Wan tapped his right temple. "It's all up here, my young Padawan. I've studied this place extensively – its history is fascinating."

"Then I feel completely at ease."

Obi-Wan shot Anakin a warning glare, but he said nothing. They headed deeper into the caves; the blue light grew a little stronger with each step.

"These caves are one of the most ancient places in the galaxy," said Obi-Wan after a few moments. "They were the birthplace of the now-extinct Zorae, a sentient water-dwelling race who lived in underground grottos like this, and in the freshwater lakes and seas."

Anakin couldn't have cared less, but Obi-Wan liked boring history lessons. Deciding to make peace, he feigned interest in the subject. "What happened to them?"

"They died thousands of years ago in a gender war when the females turned to violence. They called themselves Zolas and spat fire at anyone who wandered too close to their pools. Not too different from human women in my experience." Obi-Wan's face had a sour look.

"Maybe you should get out more, then."

Obi-Wan glared at him again. If Anakin had a credit for every time Obi-Wan did that, he'd be one of the richest men in the galaxy. "They were once a beautiful and peaceful race, enjoying music and various sports. The Hylians – the native humanoids – were on good terms with them until the Zola Wars – the Zolas turned against everyone."

The passageway finally led into a larger cave, circular and smooth-walled. There was a huge pool of glowing blue water – the origin of the strange light. In the center of the pool were statues of three beautiful humanoid females. One seemed to be dancing, possessing strong arms made of flame. The stone she was carved from was red. The blue statue seemed to be of an exceptionally beautiful woman silently singing to the pool before her; her arms seemed like waves of water. The third and last statue was green; the woman had arms like tree limbs. She seemed engaged in defending herself from an unseen opponent.

"Ah, a statue of the three goddesses of Hyrule," said Obi-Wan. He actually sounded _pleased_. "All the races on Hyrule shared belief in them at one time. Pantheistic religion is so rare in the galaxy. They –"

"Um," Anakin cut into Obi-Wan ramble after inspecting the cave and noting it had no exits, "where are we supposed to go from here?"

"We swim." Obi-Wan smiled as if he'd revealed Anakin had won the Coruscant lottery. "It's Nayru's Trial – the easiest of the three. You'll only have to hold your breath for about five minutes while we reach the next cave. That's nothing for a healthy young man like yourself."

"S-_swim_?" Anakin spluttered.

"You know how to swim, Anakin. I thought you wanted to do this?"

While Anakin technically knew _how_ to swim – Obi-Wan had made sure he'd learned how since he nearly drowned at twelve – that didn't mean he _liked_ to. He always felt like he was half-drowning, floundering around like some awkward child in a substance that some part of him still considered as precious as life itself. Obi-Wan, however, didn't seem to care.

Obi-Wan opened his outer robe and took it off. As he turned off the power cells in his lightsaber, Anakin realized he'd better do the same. He twisted the bottom of his lightsaber until the power was cut and then shouldered his way out of his outer robe. He grumbled as he did so; if there was anything worse than swimming, it was swimming with his clothes on.

"Remember, Anakin," said Obi-Wan as he waded into the water. "Take a deep breath before diving in, and exhale slowly while you swim."

Anakin laid his robe on a rock next to Obi-Wan's. He licked his lips and glared at the water. If he'd known there was swimming involved, he never would have tried to convince Obi-Wan to come. He couldn't back out now – he'd given his word, and they were already here. Obi-Wan had to have done this on purpose.

Obi-Wan glanced over his shoulder as he tied his auburn hair back. "I'll guide you, don't worry. As long as we don't deviate from the path, and use the Force to guide us, we'll be fine." With that, he dived under the water, as graceful as a fish.

Entertaining nasty speculations under his breath on the nature of Obi-Wan's conception, Anakin took as deep a breath as his lungs would allow before diving in as well. He suffered a most unkind shock; the water was _cold_. He exhaled a little too much in surprise and shuddered, his testicles feeling as if they were shriveling. He felt a hand grab him. He reflexively fought to escape until he realized it was Obi-Wan, pulling him along.

It wasn't hard to see, not when the water glowed. The bottom was far below, and the top became a distant memory as they traveled through tight, smooth-walled tunnels. He felt like he was trapped in a cold, blue world disconnected from the galaxy. He could deal with zero gravity without a problem. It was the false, half-gravity of water that disoriented him. He didn't know up from down, and it took a moment to cajole his limbs to flail in the proper direction to propel him forward. Obi-Wan kept hold of his arm, swimming as effortlessly and gracefully as if he were one of those Zorae he'd prattled on about. He didn't seem bothered by the lack of air, though Anakin's lungs already burned.

Obi-Wan went at a good clip, slipping through the narrow tunnels with a surety of purpose despite having one hand on Anakin. Anakin was positive he'd be lost if he wasn't being led.

Just when he thought he'd implode from lack of air, they broke the surface of the water. Anakin clung to Obi-Wan, gratefully gulping for air.

"Anakin," gasped Obi-Wan after a moment, struggling in Anakin's arms, "I can't breathe!"

"Why? We broke the surface."

"Choking… me!"

"Oh. Sorry." Anakin let go of Obi-Wan and paddled awkwardly at the surface, barely able to keep float. Obi-Wan panted, drawing in large gulps of air. When he caught his breath, he glared at Anakin _again_.

Obi-Wan swam to the edge of the pool. He pulled himself up, then helped Anakin out. Anakin still felt a bit shaky; he'd never stop hating having to swim.

Obi-Wan slicked his wet hair back with his fingers, the beads of water clinging to his pale skin glittering in the light. "The next cave contains Din's Trial," he said, gesturing at a passageway behind him. "There are statues of Zola in there, and they spit fire at anything that moves. The key to getting through without being burnt to a crisp is timing."

"Timing?"

"Once they sense movement, they'll all start alternately breathing fire. You'll see the pattern. Just follow my lead."

Anakin followed Obi-Wan into the next cave. It was long and narrow, lined on either side by red statues of fish-like women. The blue light from the pool had been replaced by a dull red one that seemed to come from the statues. Obi-Wan nodded to them and walked forward. He waved a hand in front of the first statue, then darted back, eyes wide with expectation. The statue's mouth creaked open, and a burst of fire came out. All down the cave, the other statues mimicked the action, creating explosive bursts of deadly flames at various intervals, most going too fast for Anakin's gaze to keep up.

Obi-Wan glanced back at Anakin. "You'll see how it works if you stare at it long enough. Use the Force to keep your senses attuned if necessary. Just move quickly."

Before Anakin could blink, Obi-Wan was dodging through the flames as quickly as a long-strider, racing full speed past entire stretches of statues between flames and stopping abruptly to avoid jets of fire from others. A few he leapt clear over. He was on the other side and waiting for him in two short minutes.

Though Obi-Wan was not inclined to congratulate himself, Anakin imagined he could almost see a smug smile on Obi-Wan's face over the flames.

"Come on, Anakin! We haven't got all day!"

Anakin sighed. He didn't bother trying to memorize the patterns of the fire-breathing statues, instead letting the Force guide him. He used it to aid his speed, to dodge the flame by rolling under or jumping over, to run like the wind itself until he arrived safely on the other side, breathing a little heavily. The heat of the room had already nearly dried him off. He glanced behind him and smirked. That was _much_ easier than swimming.

Obi-Wan merely nodded at him.

"What's left?" Anakin asked, disappointed by the lack of congratulation.

Obi-Wan glanced at another passageway behind them. "Farore's Trial. If you can jump as far as you can run fast, you shouldn't have any problem." He turned and headed down the new passageway before Anakin could question him further.

The first thing Anakin noticed as he followed was the horrible, unmistakable smell of boiling tar. Even Obi-Wan made a face, putting a hand under his nose. Anakin had a splitting headache by the time they entered a green-lit cave.

The green-lit cave had a very wide, very deep chasm. Far below, Anakin could see a glowing green viscous liquid that was the source of the smell. He almost thought he saw the bones of large animals and a few swords trapped down there. He studied the chasm. It was too wide to jump – even for him.

"So, are we using our syntherope shots?" asked Anakin.

"That would take out the challenge, Anakin. And besides, it's cheating. We're not supposed to use anything but our natural talents."

"But who would _know_?"

"I would." Obi-Wan back up to the back wall and braced himself against it. "We'll do this together. This is quite the test of your agility, Anakin. Use the Force, let it guide you, and –"

Anakin backed up, letting the Force flow through him, trying to build power. "Master, I know what I'm doing."

"Very well." The Force echoed as Obi-Wan let it flow through him as well. "On the count of three. One."

Anakin held his breath and closed his eyes. He hoped this worked.

"Two."

The Force resonated and surged, whispering things Anakin couldn't quite hear, full of power. Anakin tensed, as ready as he would ever be.

"Three!"

They started running at the same time. Anakin could hear Obi-Wan's heartbeat, the patter of his feet on the stone ledge. Anakin opened his eyes. They leapt off the edge simultaneously, gliding across the wide chasm; the tar glowed far below them. Their clothing fluttered in the wind. A shot of fear went through Anakin's belly. What if he fell? What if Obi-Wan fell? What if –

Anakin suddenly realized he _was_ falling. The ledge before him was close, but he knew he'd never make it. He was going to die. He screamed, working his legs aimlessly in mid-air, reaching for his syntherope shot.

Then Obi-Wan grabbed him, pulling him up with him, dragging him through the air until they landed on the ledge, safe and sound. Anakin panted and dropped to his knees, glancing up at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan frowned down at him. "Never, ever let yourself be distracted like that again, my young Padawan. Not if you want to continue living."

Anakin glared down at the stone floor, his face burning with shame. Obi-Wan had shown him up _again_. He should have been able to make it. He could have, if he'd only had a little more faith.

Obi-Wan's voice shook him from his thoughts. "Well, we still made it. There are the Hylian crystals." He pointed to a small pit by the wall, filled with crystals shining with a soft, white light.

Anakin came to his feet, watching as Obi-Wan plucked one out. He ran his hands over the stone wall thoughtfully, pausing at what looked like a small crack. He slipped the crystal in, and after a moment, a hidden door slid open with a loud groan. Behind it lay a brightly lit cave exit.

When they walked out of the cave, Anakin spent a few moments blinking in the sunlight, trying to adjust his eyes. When they cleared, he realized a cloud must have passed across the sun, for it wasn't bright anymore.

"Oh, dear," said Obi-Wan in a tremulous voice.

The Force flared with danger. Anakin looked up. There was no shadow over the sun at all. Instead, there was a giant robot standing over them, its polished blue durasteel surface gleaming in the bright light. Malevolent yellow eyes glowed from its primate's face. "Trespassers will be destroyed on sight," it said in a tinny voice that seemed too high-pitched for something so large.

"Not good!" cried Anakin, diving out of the way just as one of the huge metal hands swiped towards them.

Obi-Wan managed to leap out of the way as well, barely avoiding having his head knocked clean off. "Anakin! Keep it busy! I'm going to try and destroy the CPU!"

Obi-Wan's blue lightsaber made the air hum as he raced towards the giant robot. He jumped onto it and climbed up its back as if he were some sort of sticky-footed insect. The robot's gears groaned as it trying to reach for him, but it didn't have enough flex in its arms. Anakin pulled out his lightsaber, but when he saw Obi-Wan climb onto the robot's neck, he realized he needed to choose a safer course of action for his Master. Obi-Wan was in the range of its arms again; he swung to the side, avoiding being squashed like an insect.

Anakin reached out through the Force, pulling back on the robot's arms as it tried to knock Obi-Wan off again. Obi-Wan managed to reach its head, scoring a handhold into the side with his lightsaber. The metal cooled almost instantly – durasteel always did – and Obi-Wan grabbed hold of it. Pouring all he had through the Force, Anakin kept the giant from knocking Obi-Wan off. The robot shook with effort, but Anakin held fast, doing his best to imagine it was nothing but a child's toy.

Obi-Wan jammed his lightsaber through the top of the metal cranium. Anakin could see the durasteel glow and start to slag from where he stood far below, but the robot was still moving, a metallic scream emitting from its vocoder. It became harder and harder to keep the robot from dashing Obi-Wan to pieces - its arms squealed with effort. Head screaming in agony, Anakin reached further into the Force, power rushing through him like a tidal wave.

Hot blood dripped out Anakin's nose, slipping down his face. All he could think of was Obi-Wan, of not letting him die. No matter how annoying he was, Anakin _loved_ Obi-Wan – he was the closest thing Anakin had to a father. Obi-Wan continued to work his way through the thick metal, but the robot was _still_ moving, though the gears inside its elbows sounded like they were stripping.

Anakin had never used this much power in the Force. He felt like thick blast doors were slamming shut inside his mind. The pain in his head couldn't have been sharper if someone jammed a vibroblade into his skull.

Just when he thought he'd black out, the robot froze with a loud screech, its joints freezing into place. Obi-Wan leapt down to its feet and holstered his lightsaber on his belt. Anakin fell to his knees, dizzy and exhausted.

"Well, that was unexpected," Obi-Wan said, sounding as if he were standing on the other end of a tunnel. "I thought all those robots had been deactivated centuries ago."

"What?" It was a reflex response – Anakin was far more interested in what was making the planetoid spin so fast rather than finding out about ancient robots.

"They're leftover weapons of destruction created by an unknown race who sought to take over Hyrule – they destroyed the Hylian race and ironically destroyed their masters as well. They're certainly built to last, as you can see. It looks like this one was missed – or was hiding until now."

Obi-Wan paused and bent down to study Anakin, who hadn't moved from where he knelt in the dust. Anakin looked up at him. He had a sudden desire to request a nap – or perhaps a nice shot of goranicine.

Obi-Wan waved his hand in front of Anakin's face. "Come on, Anakin. We have to go. You're not tired already, are you?"

Did Obi-Wan think it had been _easy_ to keep the bloody robot from crushing him under its hand? Anakin forced himself to his feet, ignoring how the world seemed to wobble a bit under him. "I'm fine. I just have a headache." He wiped the blood off his upper lip. "It's a nosebleed. Nothing serious."

Just as Obi-Wan opened his mouth, the Force screamed out a warning. Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan by his tunic and yanked him behind some large rocks. They rolled awkwardly, fresh pain along Anakin's side adding to the agony bursting within his skull. He covered Obi-Wan with his own body, shielding him from harm.

The robot exploded with such force that the ground shook.

The sound did nothing for Anakin's headache. He winced and held his head, trying not to listen as shrapnel and debris went flying in all directions. A few small pieces bounced harmlessly off Anakin's back and legs. When the echoing thunder disappeared, and the heat faded, Anakin looked up. There was nothing but a black spot of char on the dirt where the robot had stood only a moment ago.

"Thank you," said Obi-Wan as he extracted himself from Anakin, looking uncomfortable. He stood up and brushed himself off. "You know, I'm going to have to complain about this oversight – there really shouldn't have been any robots left."

"You do that," Anakin said weakly. He avoided blacking out only through sheer force of will. "My head still hurts. Do you have any painkillers?"

Obi-Wan patted himself, then looked mildly chagrined. He held up the remainders of his medkit, empty and charred. "Not anymore."

Anakin leaned against the rock, his energy draining out of him. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

Obi-Wan smiled. "That, my young apprentice, is the first wise thing you've said this entire trip."

"Oh, blow it out your –"

The wind suddenly whipped their loose clothing about them as the shuttle settled onto the dirt by them. The hatch opened with a hiss. The pilot didn't look at them; Anakin wondered if he was still sore about the comment about his flying.

"There's our ride," said Obi-Wan, looking down at Anakin. "You were saying?"

"I was saying what a wonderful Master you are. Wise and powerful – and generous with the shuttlecraft's medicine supplies."

Obi-Wan's smile widened. "That's more like it." He pulled Anakin up, draping Anakin's arm over his shoulders so he could help him walk to the shuttle.

"That, my _old_ Master, is the first wise thing you've said this entire trip."

Anakin was positive Obi-Wan bumped his head into the top of the hatch on purpose. Anakin screamed.

"Sorry. I didn't quite catch what you said," said Obi-Wan, smiling. All three of him. If it weren't for the fact that Anakin wasn't sure if he could get his arm to cooperate, he'd have punched him.

Anakin gritted his teeth as Obi-Wan sat him down on one of the shuttle's seats. Any moment now, he expected his brain to bleed out his ears. "I said that your fountain of wisdom shall no doubt ever run dry." He managed to keep most of the sarcasm out of his voice.

"I'll go find the shuttle's medkit." Obi-Wan rummaged through the back cabinets as the pilot lifted off. The shuttle shook more than necessary, but Anakin wasn't sure if it was from the pilot's lack of skill or just him being spiteful. Or both.

"Well, that's inconvenient," said Obi-Wan, staring down at a medkit he'd pulled out.

"What?" asked Anakin.

"They're out of painkillers. You'll have to wait."

Anakin gritted his teeth. This was not his day.

"Is there any good news?"

"Oh, yes," Obi-Wan said dreamily. "You promised me peace and quiet for the rest of this trip."

Anakin stared at him, but Obi-Wan looked perfectly serious. "You did this all on purpose, didn't you? It's some sort of Padawan's test, isn't it?"

Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "I think the hit on your head is more severe than I supposed. Why would you think that?" His eyes twinkled.

"Because tricking me into some sort of test and making me agree to meditate more is so _you_. I _know_ you planned this."

"I didn't plan the robot."

Anakin spent the next twenty minutes exhausting the Huttese language as he silently called Obi-Wan every name he could recall and a few he made up on the spot. When they arrived on the _Kadrahal_ and he was finally taken to the infirmary, he'd moved onto mentally insulting Obi-Wan with bits of the Twi'leki language he'd picked up from Aayla Secura.

Right as they were preparing him for bacta tank immersion, Obi-Wan leaned over Anakin. "And have you learned anything today, my young Padawan?"

"Sure."

"And what's that?"

"That you're a sneaky, conniving, son of a –"

Obi-Wan yanked the breath mask out of the medic's hands and forced it onto Anakin's face before he could finish his statement. Anakin glared up at him.

"That the best laid plans can go awry. I went through that test at your age myself. You should be happy to note you did better than I. You also did exceptionally well with the robot. However, you still need to watch your mouth."

Anakin grinned behind his mask. Obi-Wan smiled back, as if he knew Anakin was smiling. Obi-Wan patted him on his bare shoulder, then let the medics push his medical capsule towards the bacta tank.

A sweet smell filled Anakin's nose, rushing in through his breath mask. His eyesight blurred, and he started to drift off to sleep. He reflected the day wasn't a total loss, if for no other reason than he'd managed to wrangle a compliment out of Obi-Wan.

_End._


End file.
